Cleanse Day 5: Communication
For those of you following along, you will have figured out that the Lion was not being very supportive of my Cleanse. And Friday night, it reached a head when he started to argue with me because I wasn’t having nachos and quesadillas with the rest of them. I stuck to my guns, fixed him with a fierce glare, and he backed down.
Now, to be fair to the Lion, I have mentioned that I was going to give up this or that in the past. And the very first time he offers me the forbidden fruit, I take it. So, he had no reason to believe this time was any different.
But it is different this time, because I am sick and tired–literally–from eating all the wine, breads, and pastas that are a regular part of our diet.
So, Friday night, when all was quiet and peaceful, I told him that for a very long time now I have felt like absolute crap. That got his attention! The Lion loves me dearly, and the thought of me being sick was quite upsetting.
I then went on to explain my 21 day theory of breaking a habit. I also explained that I was giving up all these things forever. At the end of 21 days I would assess how I feel. Then I will very very slowly start introducing items back into my diet. Each time monitoring my body’s reaction to them. Maybe alcohol totally has to go. Maybe all pasta does. Or just white pasta.
Now I had him totally on board, because he understood why I was doing this, and what my long range strategy was. And Sunday morning we sat down and worked out a menu for the week which totally avoided all my taboos. I told him he didn’t need to give stuff up, but he said it could only be healthy for him too.
Not the wine though. He wasn’t giving up the wine. He is French after all. It’s part of his genetic make-up 
Do you find it hard to make healthy lifestyle changes (exercise, diet) being in a family setting?
I am happy for you. Having your partner on board with your project and at the same wave length makes everything so much easier and better. Somehow, the journey becomes fun.
I really haven’t tried strict dieting around my lion so I don’t know for sure what will happen. But based on the rest, I can safely assume, he will be supportive. He might start dieting as well to just support me with mine
A family setting makes things tougher. You will always have a few people around who don’t think dieting is a good idea and a bite of this or that can’t harm much. I guess that’s ok. If I get some crazy crash dieting ideas, I know it’s these people who will knock me to my senses as well!
My partner does not care what I eat or how I change. He wants me to make all his Celiac Recipes and have food ready for him weekly and to keep up with his training for his off work events. He does stare at me when I eat, wishes I did not look so fat, and wants me to exercise at his level and bike ride.
I am a huge exerciser. I am eating Dr. Fuhrman’s diet right now, with a day off on the 23rd for my actual birthday. I ate very well and tasted well on my trip…
My kids were not helpful when I was eating some way new or changing. But everyone wants me to be healthy so that is supportive. No one brings home boxes of candy or cookies…they don’t bring roses either.
Family support is coming in different ways. My oldest just paid my blog rental for another year and went with me to the UK and figured out what I did not want to figure out. I paid for lunches and got a cab when we were all dressed up for the theatre. My middle is just coming home for 2 days - just to see me and dad and get a hug before Grad school starts again.
And my youngest came home to take care of Dad when he got bit by another dog on a bike ride and then yellow jacket stings. She made sure he ate and took care of himself on the weekends.
I think they just want us to stick around..
Sometimes J-rock doesn’t understand why I can’t or don’t want to eat certain foods. He’ll keep pushing the foods and then when I finally break and eat whatever the food is, he realizes it was a mistake (ie. really starchy foods make me angry, because they make me so uncomfortable)
But now he’s catching on- a healthy fed Beatrice is a happy Beatrice.